The Next Generation
by Alex-2598
Summary: Transported to a dystopian future where the gods are on the brink of civil war and the ranks of the demigods are all but decimated, Percy Jackson must lead an inexperienced team, all descended from the original seven and their friends, along with a mysterious newcomer to rescue a goddess and save the world once more.
1. Chapter 1

_New Rome _

Percy was sitting on the marble steps leading to New Rome University, waiting for his girlfriend's final class to end so they could walk home together. Technically, Annabeth knew where the apartment was and had a key, but Percy wanted to experience New Rome with her. It was still new for them, they'd only moved in a few months ago, after defeating the Giant Army and saving the world from an evil primordial goddess, or to put it in demigod terms, just another day at the office. For the first time in his life, Percy felt truly safe. He knew it wouldn't be the last time monsters would cause trouble, but it would be nothing compared to Gaea. In any event, for he and Annabeth, the tour of duty was over, now they could live their lives with a semblence of normalcy. Percy gazed out at the city before him. The classical architecture was gorgeous, even someone like him could appreciate that, and Annabeth hadn't stopped gushing about it since they got here. The people who were walking about in the streets were people like him, demigods, or children of demigods, legacies, the Romans called them. Percy had never thought about having kids before. For that matter, he'd never even allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to turn 18. He'd always assumed he'd be killed well before then. And yet here he was, with Annabeth, and the once inconceivable possibilities were endless. Early retirement never felt so good.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't sense Annabeth approaching until she sat on the step next to him.

"No matter how many times I look at it, I'm still amazed." She muttered softly.

"Yeah," Percy agreed.

"And I don't just mean the city. I mean being here with you, seeing all these adult half-bloods...I'd never met an adult half-blood in my life until I came here. It's unbelievable."

Percy nodded, he'd been thinking the same thing earlier. "It's a new beginning for us."

The walk back home always took them through the plaza, with its constant traffic that reminded them both of New York and the shadow of the five story Coliseum towering over all.

It was late afternoon in the city, and the streets were still lively as ever. Percy and Annbeth were among the steady stream of pedestrians, walking hand in hand towards their apartment and talking about the day's events. They shared some basic courses at the university, but parted ways when it came to degree-specific classes. Annabeth was, naturally, going for a degree in architecture, while Percy was going for marine biology. The professors had taken some getting used to, Percy had to admit. They reminded him a little too much of the strict teachers who always got on his case in high school. Their fellow students too, seemed more uptight and disciplined than your average college-aged youths. Percy had brought all of this up to Annabeth once, but she reminded him that they were the first Greek demigods to attend New Rome University since at least the Civil War, so this was a learning process for the Romans too.

They had nearly reached their block when someone came in from seemingly out of nowhere and nearly crashed into them. Instinctively, Percy reached for his pocket, then remembered that he didn't have Riptide, he'd left it with Terminus at the Pomerian line because weapons were banned in the city. It still felt strange to not have his trusty blade by his side.

The figure in front of them lifted up her hood. She was a middle aged woman, and in fact she looked vaguely familiar, although Percy couldn't figure out just why.

"I'm terribly sorry, young ones. You must forgive me, as you can see, my body is becoming old and frail."

Annabeth shook her head. "It's okay, are you all right?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine. I've suffered far worse, believe me. But you..." She now shifted her gaze to Percy. "You are Perseus Jackson, are you not?"

"Um, yes ma'am, that's me," Percy replied uncertainly.

The woman smiled mysteriously. "Good, good. I have something for you, child." Then she placed a small, thin, rectangular box in Percy's hand. Percy stared at it for a moment, wondering if he should open it-

"Not here," she said, as though reading his thoughts. "Not until you get home, not until you're alone. You'll need it where you're going, trust me."

"Thank you," Percy said slowly.

"Well, I guess we'd better get going," Annabeth said, sensing Percy's discomfort. "It was very nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Likewise," the woman's voice said, but when Percy looked for her again, she was gone.

Percy and Annabeth continued their walk in silence, unsure of what to make of what had just occurred.

_A few hours later_

"Did the Yankees win?"

Annabeth sat on the couch next to Percy, who was reading the sports section of the _Hermes Times_ (electronic devices were banned, of course, but now that the Greeks and Romans were on good terms, the shops sold the _Times_, written in Ancient Greek, in concurrence with the New Rome paper, the _Mercury Times_, written in Latin)

"Boston: 10, New York: zero." Percy said absent-mindedly.

"Gods above..." Annabeth sighed. "This is why I stopped following them years ago."

Normally Percy would have laughed or had some kind of witty response, but right now he just felt distracted. That encounter earlier with that strange woman...it had given him a foreboding vibe that something wasn't right. The box in his pocket had seemed to get heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Percy was now starting to understand how Frank had felt carrying around his firewood.

_You'll need it, trust me_. Those were her words, he couldn't stop replaying them. What was that supposed to mean, _you'll need it_? And why did he have to be alone when he opened it? If he couldn't trust Annabeth to know what was inside...then who could he trust?

"Are you okay?"

Percy jolted, shaken fro this thoughts by Annabeth, who was now looking at him with concern in her grey eyes. For a moment, Percy pondered telling her about the ominous feeling, or maybe even disregarding the woman's instructions and opening the box with Annabeth in the room. She might know what's going on and have a solution, like always. But something in his brain, maybe the old cynical demigod in him who saw a loaded trap in everything, was telling him to resist the urge. If it was something bad, he didn't want to drag Annabeth into it.

"Percy? You're really starting to worry me, please tell me what's going on." Annabeth said. And Percy realized he still hasn't answered her first question.

"I-I'm fine," he stammered. "So don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

Percy shook his head. "I'm sure, Wise Girl. Look, I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight. Maybe I'll feel better in the morning."

Annabeth reached out and touched his hand. Her smooth skin offered a measure of comfort to his troubled soul, though it could not remove his burden.

"I'll go with you, I can work on my essay tomorrow."

"No," Percy said quickly, "you should finish it. I promise I'll be okay."

It was a weak argument, and Percy knew it, but Annabeth must have felt truly concerned for him, because she conceded.

"Okay, Seaweed Brain. I won't be long. Get some rest."

Percy managed a smile, he really was lucky to have her. "I will." He brushed some strands of hair from her face, then, on impulse, he leaned in and kissed her. It was one of their longer ones, but it still felt far too short.

_In the bedroom _

The room was pitch dark, save for the light of the moon streaming through the window. Percy felt through his pocket for the box and took it in his hands. There was nothing remarkable about it, just one of those small cases that people carried fountain pens in. _A pen..._

He gently opened the case, and sure enough, nestled inside was a bronze pen that looked just like...just like the pen his old Latin teacher Mr. Brunner had given him all those years ago. But it couldn't be, could it?

Percy carefully removed the pen from the case and uncapped it. Just as it had done thousands of times before without fail, _Anaklusmos_, Riptide, sprang to full form_. Impossible_

Impossible because Terminus would have instantly detected it. As far as Percy knew, no one had ever successfully slipped a weapon by him before. Not even the shiftiest child of Hermes. And what was that woman doing with Riptide anyways? How did she get her hands on it? But the question that really burned in him was why she had given it to him in the first place. _You'll need it, trust me. _

If this was some attempt to get him to go on another quest, the gods would have to find someone else, because he was happy where he was. Percy recapped Riptide and watched the pale bronze glow shrink and then disappear, leaving him once more in darkness. He put the pen back in the box and placed it on the dresser, wondering how he was going to convince Terminus tomorrow that he wasn't to blame for this, or how he would tell Annabeth for that matter.

He tried his best to push all these thoughts aside until he finally drifted off to sleep.

To his horror, he dreamed. Percy hadn't had a nightmare like this in months. He was standing in the middle of Camp Half-Blood, but it didn't look anything like the Camp Half-Blood he recognized. The campers, and there were far fewer of them than there should've been, were downtrodden and seemed to have a ragged, hopeless look in their eyes. A girl with blonde hair and green eyes who bore an eerie resemblance to Annabeth was talking to a couple of other campers who also looked oddly familiar. Percy couldn't make out what they were saying, but it seemed like a frantic conversation.

Then a voice forced its way in, Percy knew that voice...

_"The gods are blind, Perseus, too stubborn to see the error of their ways, too drunk on their great victory to see the threat right under their own noses." _

The trio walked past the Big House; given a situation of obvious peril like this, Percy would have turned first to Chiron, the wise director of the camp. If anyone could have the answers at a time like this...he wondered why they hadn't even tried to reach him?

_"I'm afraid mamy things have changed since you last closed your eyes, young one," _the voice said, as though reading his very thoughts. _"You will have to figure them out on your own. I am bound by the Ancient Law." _

The three half bloods started walking faster, Percy knew where they were going now: the Oracle's House. But why? Was there a new great prophecy? How could that be, when they had just defeated Gaea so recently? And why was he being shown this? Was it the future, the past, or some figment of his overactive imagination? His previous experiences with dreams told him that as much as he might have wanted it to be the third option, it almost certainly wasn't.

_"Have faith Percy Jackson, I would not have chosen you if I had deemed you unworthy. You are the hero of Olympus, only with your help can they restore peace to the gods." _

The three demigods were now running across the green with newfound purpose towards the infirmary, led by a fourth who had apparently gone out to give them news of some importance.

_"Now it is time for you to wake, young hero. The hour has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled." _

Light.

Like a camera lens, slowly coming into focus, blurry at first. The light was all he saw. Then shapes, people, standing over him...

The ceiling...the ceiling didn't look right. It wasn't the ceiling he had been looking at before. And this wasn't his bed-

"He's waking up," a distant voice said. There was some kind of discussion or argument going on between the figures, until finally one of them walked up to him, close enough to see. It was a girl, she looked familiar, but he knew he'd never seen her before. Blonde hair...green eyes like the sea...

"It's really him."

"It can't be him, I know how badly you want it to be, Caroline, but you know as well as I do that-"

"Will you shut up for just one second, Keno?"

Percy rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up, but the girl stopped him. "You're still weak. Get him some ambrosia."

"Annabeth?" Percy mumbled drowsily. It was so soft that nobody else heard it, but the girl did, and it froze her in place.

"It _is _you," she whispered.

Percy felt the ambrosia squares being slipped into his mouth, he tasted the warmth of his mother's home baked cookies, and as he drifted back into unconsciousness, he tried to call upon a happy memory, a memory of he and Annabeth going on a date under the glittering lights of New Rome. For once, Percy wished his dream didn't have to end.


	2. Chapter 2

Percy put out a hand to his eyes to block the intrusive light. For a moment he wondered if he had died and gone to Elysium. Where had he been before? He was sure he'd gone to sleep in the apartment he shared with Annabeth in New Rome...but then he'd had a nightmare, hadn't he? And he'd dreamed he was back in Camp Half-Blood. It was such a vivid dream...

Percy sat up. The light wasn't anything mystical or supernatural, just an ordinary white ceiling light, like you'd see in a hospital. And unless Elysium looked exactly like the Camp Half-Blood infirmary, he was still very much alive. So it hadn't been a dream after all. But then what in the name of the gods was he doing in Camp Half-Blood? He was certain he'd gone to sleep in New Rome, and unless someone had shadow travelled him here, or a god had plucked him from his bed and flung him across the country...

That's when Percy realized he was not alone. A teenage boy was sitting by the door, as if standing guard. Apparently there hadn't been much to report, because he'd nodded off. Percy more than anyone could appreciate not wanting to be disturbed from a good night's sleep, but he really needed to figure out what was going on.

"Hey," he said somewhat quietly at first, then louder. "Hey!"

"Uhh," the boy startled awake. His eyes quickly widened when he saw that Percy had spoken to him. "He's awake," the boy said to himself in awe.

"What's going on, why am I here?" Percy asked, desperate for answers, but the boy ignored him. Instead he leapt up from his chair and bolted out of the infirmary, leaving Percy alone.

"Thanks for the explanation!" Percy remarked sarcastically to no one. He guessed he was going to have to figure this out himself. Slowly lifting himself from the bed, he realized he felt much better now than when he'd passed out earlier. He tried to get a grasp of his surroundings, the infirmary was in a bad way, even his cabin had never been this messy. It was clear that it had been overloaded recently, as makeshift beds had been set up in just about every available corner. Medical equipment was also strewn about. Will Solace had always kept this place spotless, even in the aftermath of the battle with Gaea. It was another mystery on top of everything else for Percy to try to solve.

Percy reached for the handle to the door, and opened it to find himself face to face with four half-bloods. One was the boy who had been with him in the infirmary, he had blond hair and wore a red cross patch on his orange tee.

The others were the half-bloods from his dream, he was sure of it. The girl with the blonde hair and sea-green eyes, who looked so much like Annabeth; the eyes were the biggest difference. Then there was a tall, lean, light skinned boy with curly black hair and golden brown eyes. Finally was another girl, a Latina, with short caramel brown hair and a wiry, athletic build.

Instinctively, Percy fell back on his old training. In one swift motion, he drew and uncapped Riptide and fell into his battle stance. So it was one against four, Percy had faced greater odds than that. He didn't know what these people wanted with him, but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. Three of the half-bloods flinched and apprehensively stepped back, but the blonde haired girl stood her ground.

"Percy, we don't want to hurt you."

"I don't know that!" Percy shouted back, keeping Riptide between himself and his would-be assailants. "I don't even know who you are or what I'm doing here!"

"We can explain everything, please just give us a chance," the girl pleaded. "Please."

Percy thought it over. He still didn't trust any of them, but something in the girl's voice told him she was being sincere. Against his own better judgment and cynical nature, he recapped Riptide. "Fine. But there better be a good reason for whatever's going on here."

"We should talk in the infirmary," the girl suggested. Percy nodded and led them inside.

"Okay, first question, who _are _you guys?" Percy was sitting on the bed that he had until recently been sleeping on. The three demigods from his dream were standing around him, while the other boy was once again sitting in the chair next to the entrance of the room.

"I'm Caroline," the blonde haired girl said.

"Keno," the tall, light skinned boy followed.

"Luciana," the Latina girl said finally, then added "but just call me Lucy."

"And Adrian's our medic, our _only _medic actually," Caroline said, gesturing to the boy in the chair.

That answered one small question, but left many others. For example...

"How did I get here?"

"That's the thing..." Lucy said uncomfortably, "we actually, um, don't know."

"You don't know," Percy echoed in dismay, wondering if he was ever going to get this mess sorted out.

"We had thought, what with the line from the prophecy- well...I thought maybe-"

"Wait," Percy said, cutting off Caroline. "There's a prophecy?"

"A prophecy that makes absolutely no sense, that involves a scientific impossibility, and yet...here you are," Keno noted suspiciously.

"Come on, Keno-"

"No Caroline, just hear me out. Even if you're right, how do we know this isn't the gods messing with us?"

"I still have no idea what you guys are talking about," Percy interjected helpfully, as if to remind the bickering demigods that he was still here. "And I promise, if the gods are messing with you, they're messing with me too."

"Don't listen to Keno, Percy," Caroline said, ignoring the exaggerated look of feigned hurt from Keno. "We've been waiting for this moment for so long...we were wondering if it would ever come, but now you're here, and we can finally fulfill the prophecy."

"Why me?" Percy asked confusedly.

"The prophecy can't succeed without you," Lucy explained.

So there was another prophecy, and apparently Percy was yet again at the center of it. Why did it always have to be him with the pressure of saving the world on his shoulders? He held out faint hope that this still might be a minor prophecy, but the way they were talking about it...and why was Keno acting like his very existence was a violation of the laws of nature? Somehow, he now had even more questions than when they'd begun.

As if she had noticed the anguished look on Percy's face, Caroline turned to the others. "I think we should take him to see the Oracle." Keno and Lucy nodded.

Percy was about to agree to this, but then he remembered something from his dream...the Big House...Chiron.

"Wait!" He said suddenly, startling the trio. "What does Chiron know about this? He's always been able to help me in the past, why don't we go see him?"

The three demigods suddenly looked very nervous. "Um...I don't know if that's such a good idea, Percy," Caroline said gently.

"What do you mean it's not a good idea?" Percy asked, his voice rising.

"Hey, calm down," Keno said, a concerned edge to his voice.

"I need to talk to Chiron!" Percy exclaimed, leaping off the bed

"Percy wait!" Caroline called, but Percy pushed past them before they could stop him. He had years of experience outrunning and outmaneouvering monsters, he easily forced his way through Adrian the medic and burst out onto the green in a full sprint. Behind him, he could hear shouts and calls for him to stop, but he ignored them. He'd known something was wrong from the moment he woke up, and he should've followed his instincts. Now he just had to hope that Chiron could help him sort things out. From the moment he'd first met the ancient centaur in his human disguise as Mr. Brunner, Chiron had been a mentor and friend to him, he wouldn't be who he was today without Chiron's guidance. How he could use some of that sagely advice right now. He'd even settle for Mr. D at this point.

Percy ran up the wooden steps of the Big House and pushed the heavy door open, not even bothering to knock.

"Chiron!" He called, but got only a faint echo of his own voice and no other response. The house looked abandoned. The fireplace, normally tended to and emitting a cozy glow, was cold, and the only light was from the sun shining through the windows, giving the Victorian manor an almost haunted feel. Again, Percy called: "Chiron!' Again, no response.

"Mr. D!"

"Chiron!" Percy shouted, raw desperation creeping into his voice.

"Percy!"

Percy turned and saw Caroline, Keno, and Lucy standing in the doorway.

"Where are they?" Percy asked with an edge to his voice, reaching for Riptide.

"Percy, please-" Caroline started.

"Where are they?" Percy repeated more forcefully. "Where's Chiron?"

"He's been recalled," Caroline finally admitted.

The words hit Percy like a gut punch. _Recalled?_ How could the gods recall Chirom at a time like this? "For how long?"

"Indefinitely," Keno answered grimly.

_No. _That just couldn't be true. In all the time he'd known Chiron, the gods had only ever recalled him once, and it had been temporary. What could he have possibly done to be indefinitely removed from Camp Half-Blood? It seemed beyond belief. Percy felt his knees grow weak. "What about Mr. D?" He asked, already dreading the answer he suspected he would receive.

"He was also recalled, indefinitely," Lucy replied. It was worse than the worst case scenario. Camp Half-Blood had effectively lost its leadership and any possible link to Olympus. The gods had abandoned them.

Percy ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Tell me everything," he demanded.

A few minutes later, they were all seated in the conference room. As the sole occupant and default counselor of the Poseidon cabin, Percy had been in this room many times and had been privy to many discussions where the fate of the world hung in the balance. This certainly seemed to qualify.

"It all started about a year after the Giant War ended. With Gaea defeated, the gods believed the world would now be safe, but they had let their guard down too soon," Caroline was explaining. "The Olympians believed that all of Gaea's allies had been defeated, but they were wrong. Have you ever heard of Harmonia and Eris?"

Percy shrugged. "Maybe in passing, I guess. I'll admit I wasn't the greatest student in Annabeth's mythology class. Are they minor gods?"

"You could put it that way, but they also play a much larger role than most people realize," Keno said.

"How so?"

"It's a Yin-Yang thing, you see. Harmonia represents peace, Eris represents strife. Since the dawn of mankind, they've maintained a delicate balance: When wars ravaged the earth, Harmonia would influence us toward reconciliation, and when we became complacent, Eris would stir up conflict again. The same applied to the Olympians. In this way, neither could become too powerful. But if one of them were to be removed or weakened in some way..."

Keno didn't finish, he didn't have to. Percy understood.

"Eris doesn't really like to stand in the spotlight," Caroline explained. "She prefers to do her work behind the scenes, to orchestrate and incite conflict wherever possible. That's what she did during the Giant War."

"Eris was working for Gaea?" Percy asked. He vaguely recalled meeting the goddess when he and Annabeth were in Tartarus.

Caroline nodded. "And when Gaea was defeated...well lets just say Eris wasn't very happy about it. And she wasn't alone. Many monsters, and even demigods, had wanted Gaea to win, and they joined Eris's caise. But they had a problem."

"Harmonia," Percy breathed, beginning to understand what this was all about.

"Right, so one year after the end of the war, she was able to convince a group of demigods to sneak into the forges and steal the Net of Hephaestus."

"The what now?" Percy inquired in confusion. He was really regretting not paying attention in mythology class now.

"The net that Hephaestus made and used to catch Aphrodite and Ares red handed, if you know what I mean," Lucy jumped in. "There's a whole story about it...well, anyways, the net is one of the only items in existence powerful enough to capture a goddess."

"And Hephaestus just left this all-powerful net...lying around?" Percy asked incredulously.

"Like we said, the gods let their guard down," Caroline said. "They weren't expecting the raid. And by the time the realized what was happening, it was too late. The net is a symbol of power for Hephaestus. Only a half-blood can steal it-"

"And only a half-blood can return it." Percy finished. He was acquainted with that section of the Ancient Laws all too well, his very first quest had been to recover a symbol of power.

"With Harmonia out of the picture, there was no one to stop Eris and her army from wreaking havoc. At first, the Olympians believed they had things under control, but they reacted too slowly, and soon, Eris's poisonous influence reached Olympus itself," Keno said. "The gods stopped communicating with their children, they were too busy feuding with each other."

Percy now had a pretty good idea of what they were up against, but there was still one nagging question that he didn't have an answer to. He still didn't know where Annabeth was. For that matter, he hadn't seen any of his friends since he'd woken up...

"Well hasn't anyone ever tried to find Harmonia and free her? Don't they know where she is?"

"Oh we know where she is," Lucy asserted with confidence. "It's in the prophecy."

"There was an attempted rescue," Caroline confirmed. "Years ago, when we were children. The Seven of the Second Great Prophecy tried."

"The Seven..." Percy muttered softly. _Annabeth_. "What about Annabeth?"

"Annabeth Chase?" Caroline asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Where is she? She can help us, she knows a lot more about monsters and mythology and strategy and...well, everything." At this point, Percy just needed to see Annabeth again, to know that she was all right.

Caroline took a shaky breath, Percy saw the tears in her eyes and felt a cold terror grip his heart as she finally choked the words out. "I'm sorry Percy...the mission failed. The Seven- they didn't make it. They're gone."

"We- we _died_? All of us?"

Caroline nodded silently as Keno and Lucy tried to comfort her.

Percy clung to the table until his knuckles turned white, it was all he could do to not collapse to the floor. No wonder Keno had treated him as though he shouldn't have been alive. He had died. Annabeth...all his friends...gone. It couldn't be. He thought of his mother, was she even alive right now? He thought of the story she always told him about his name, Perseus. She knew about the tragedy that befell most demigods, she had hoped Percy would be different. Now that hope was shattered. For all his heroics, for all his accomplishments, in the end he had failed to protect Annabeth, and he had let his friends down when they needed him most.

"Don't lose hope, Percy."

Percy lifted his head at the sound of Lucy's voice.

"What happened before wasn't your fault. We are here for you, and we can still make things right."

Lucy was right, Percy realized. He had failed his friends once, but for some reason, for a reason he didn't yet understand, he'd been given a second chance. A chance to make things right. He took a deep breath.

"What's the prophecy?"

Percy lifted his eyes and met Caroline's gaze. For just a moment, it felt like looking into a mirror, and in that moment he knew that this meant just as much to her as it did to him.

"I think it's time to talk to the Oracle."

* * *

**In Chapter 3: Percy meets Future Rachel, the prophecy is revealed, we meet the rest of the next generation cast, and more. To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

The Oracle's House looked just like Percy remembered it. It had been built right after the Battle of Manhattan for the camp's new Oracle, Rachel Dare. It was a startling reminder of happier times. Caroline led the group to the door and opened without knocking, if as they had been expected to drop by at some point.

The first thing Percy noticed when he stepped inside was a woman in her mid-thirties meditating on a rug in the center of the room. She wore a tie dye shirt, had unmistakably fiery red hair, and when her eyes suddenly fluttered open, they were a mystical emerald green.

"Rachel?"

The woman stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes shifted bacl and forth to look somewhere behind him, as if making sure this wasn't some kind of optical illusion. Finally, she spoke in a hushed tone.

"Oh my gods...you look just like him."

"It's him, Rachel, I know it is," Caroline said.

Rachel still seemed not to believe her own eyes. "I mean- even I was skeptical about that line, guys, and I do this for a _living_...it shouldn't be possible."

"That's what I said," Keno chimed in helpfully.

"For what it's worth, I'm just as confused as all of you," Percy said.

Rachel looked up at him again, Percy hadn't seen her eyes that wide since he'd nearly bisected her at the Hoover Dam. "Percy...you look just like I remember you- how old are you?"

"Um...eighteen," Percy responded uncertainly.

"Right after the Giant War..." Rachel mused to herself. "That must've been about twenty years ago."

Percy's breath caught in his throat. _"__Twenty years?" _

So that was it. He'd fallen asleep and woken up two decades in the future. But why? Now that he knew that he and his friends had died at some point in the past, he wondered why he hadn't woken up there, in time to save them. What cruel game were the Fates trying to play here? Or...or had there been some mistake? Was it possible that the Seven were somehow still alive? If anyone would know, it would be Rachel.

"My prophecies don't usually involve time travel...I have to admit this is a new one for me," Rachel confessed.

"Rachel...I need to know- you have to tell me...did I die? Did Annabeth die?"

Rachel looked at the floor sorrowfully, collecting herself. "You did. I'm so sorry Percy...I tried to stop this, I-"

"What do you mean you tried to stop it?"

Rachel took a shaky breath. "You guys...you wanted to find Harmonia as quickly as possible. The spirit of Delphi had left me due to Apollo's um...daddy issues, so I couldn't issue a prophecy, and- you went without one."

"Without a prophecy?" Percy asked in disbelief. "That's suicide!"

"That's what I tried to tell you," Rachel explained, "but you were determined, you couldn't go on knowing that thousands of people were suffering and dying every day at the hands of Eris's army. I let it go, and you went. I guess a part of me still thought you were somehow invincible," Rachel smiled ruefully after the last part, then the smile quickly faded. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret that decision."

"I'm sorry," Percy said softly, and now he felt even worse, knowing that what happened could have been prevented, and that Rachel had been carrying that guilt for all these years.

"We all made mistakes," Rachel explained. "But Chiron was the one who paid the heaviest price. He had approved the mission, which tells you how desperate we were. When the Olympians found out, they were furious. They immediately recalled Chiron and declared that he and the Seven had acted treasonously. They were going to send all of you to the fields of punishment, even Chiron. Then...then the most amazing thing happened. Mr. D went up there and defended you all."

That might've been the most unbelievable thing Percy had heard yet. Mr. D, the same Mr. D who loathed every second of his job and who treated his demigod charges like nuisances?

"That was our reaction too," Rachel said, noticing Percy's facial expression. "He said that the Seven had acted irrationally, but with good intentions, and deserved at least Asphodel, and Chiron had just been looking out for the best interests of civilization. The gods came to a compromise eventually, but Mr. D was also recalled. We haven't received any contact from the gods since then."

"Wait...so there's not even a camp director anymore?"

Caroline shook her head. "It just comes down to seniority at this point."

"And we've lost most of our experienced campers," Keno added.

So that explained why Chiron and Mr. D were gone, and it confirmed the awful truth that he and the Seven had perished in a doomed attempt to rescue a goddess. It also put into perspective just how perilous the situation was for Camp Half-Blood. The ranks of the demigods were shrinking, and Eris's army was only growing stronger. Now he just needed to know what they could do to stop them. He'd already let down Annabeth, he couldn't let these kids down too. He needed the prophecy.

"Okay...I'm ready to hear the prophecy," Percy declared, trying to sound confident in spite of his internal anxiety.

_"__Seven shall go to the mount by the bay _  
_In the Titan's Grave the captive goddess lay_  
_Harmony's daughter__ alone holds the key _  
_And shall proceed thence with five of legacy _  
_The son of the sea shall once more have breath _  
_And prevail or see god and man's final death"_

Percy let the words of the prophecy sink in. Death, why did these things always have to end in death? He realized everyone, even Rachel, was looking to him to interpret the prophecy. Annabeth was always so much better at this...

"Um, okay...so the first couplet, seven shall go...we'll worry about the specifics of that later. Let's start with the mount by the bay."

"It has to be Mount Tampalais," Keno insisted.

"Mount Tam..." Percy whispered, he hadn't thought about that place since the end of the Titan War. "Also known as Mount Othrys." Keno was right, Percy was sure of that. The goddess was being held in the old Titan stronghold.

"The next line- five of legacy. In Roman lore, a legacy is the child of a demigod. But how do we know which five should go?"

He turned to Rachel, then to the group, but was surprised that they all seemed to already know the answer. Once again, he found himself wondering why he had been chosen for this mission when he was always the last to figure something out.

"Percy," Rachel said gently, "I've learned that the Oracle's prophecies almost always leave hints within the lines. Recite it again, from the beginning. See if you catch it this time."

"Okay," Percy sighed. He recited the first line again slowly, then it began to dawn on him. "Seven...the Seven."

Rachel nodded. "The legacies of the original seven, led by a member of the original seven. It's poetic justice, in a way."

"Legacies," Percy repeated slowly. Suddenly he whirled around, ashen faced, staring at the three young people who had struck him with the vaguest sense of familiarity, a sense he had been unable to explain until now. And now, it was all falling into place. "You," he pointed at Caroline. She had blonde hair, _her _blonde hair. She had his sea-green eyes. He still remembered the very first moment he had laid eyes upon her, laying on that cot in the infirmary, and instinctively, he had called her Annabeth.

"What's your last name?"

Caroline shifted her gaze to Rachel, unsure whether she should answer or not. Rachel nodded, the time had come.

"My last name is Jackson. I'm-"

"My daughter." The words sounded so utterly foreign coming from his lips. They sounded even stranger being directed at a girl who was almost the same age as he was. But it made sense, and it explained everything. Why she had been certain that he was Percy Jackson, even when the others hadn't. Why she had nearly broken down while telling him how he- how her parents died.

He next looked at the boy. His eyes...a golden hue that reminded him of a certain daughter of the Underworld. His features reflected his mixed background, and his Asian heritage was particularly evident. As if all that wasn't enough, he shared Frank Zhang's biting sarcasm.

"Keno, your last name, it wouldn't happen to be "Zhang", would it?"

Keno nodded solemnly.

That left Lucy. She was Hispanic, and he had immediately guessed from her outdoorsy, tomboyish appearance that she was more than comfortable in situations that called for quick thinking, improvisation, and sometimes, more than a little elbow grease. Her exotic caramel brown hair further reminded him of the beautiful Titaness who had once nearly stolen his heart.

"Lucy...Valdez?" he guessed. The silent nod gave him his answer. At least part of the puzzle was completed, the legacies had been in front of him all along, but it had somehow taken him until now to realize it. Now he knew why he needed to do this. These kids were the last surviving link to his friends, to Annabeth, to the original seven. This was his second chance to attone for his past mistakes. He couldn't bring them back, but he could help the next generation avoid the same fate.

"What were they like? Our parents?" Lucy asked.

Percy was caught off guard at first, until he remembered that all three of them would have been too young to have gotten to know the people he had known so well, maybe taken for granted in his old life. He didn't need to think long to come up with an honest answer.

"They were the best friends anyone could ever ask for. And they would have done anything for the people they loved."

"Let's get back to the prophecy," Keno urged, temporarily breaking the tension. "The next line is where you come in."

"The son of the sea..." Percy murmured.

"You see now why I told the others this line couldn't be what they thought it was. And that's exactly what it seemed like-"

"Until you just showed up one day passed out next to the tree," Caroline interjected. "If our patrols hadn't found you before the monsters did..."

She let the sobering thought hang in the air, unfinished, but the implication clear. Percy noted the fear in her eyes, and tried to imagine the feeling of losing a loved one not once, but twice. That had nearly happened to Caroline, and in that moment he resolved to himself that he would not let it happen, no matter what. True, he hardly knew her, but suddenly he wanted to. He wanted to get to know the daughter he'd never imagined himself having.

"Needless to say," Keno went on, oblivious to Percy's innermost thoughts, "the final line makes it clear what the stakes are. If we fail...human civilization will fall apart."

"And Eris will have accomplished what Kronos and even Gaea couldn't, the destruction of Olympus, only this time, it'll be from within, a civil war that will end the modern world as we know it," Lucy finished.

Percy had a basic grasp now of the prophecy, but there were still quite a few mysteries hiding within the lines. In fact, now that he thought of it, there was one line that hadn't been mentioned at all.

"Wait a minute, what about Harmony's daughter? Who is she?"

Caroline looked at the others, seeking a silent consensus. Having apparently obtained it, she shifted her gaze back to Percy. "We'll take you to her."

"Wait," Rachel interrupted, and maybe it was just him, but Percy thought he'd heard a faint tone of urgency in her voice. "Could you guys just...give me a moment with Percy, please?"

Caroline, Keno, and Lucy nodded and exited the Oracle's house, leaving Percy and Rachel alone.

He just couldn't believe how much she'd changed in 20 years, or maybe it was how much she'd stayed the same. He found himself wondering if this was a feeling he would have every time he encountered someone from his past. He pushed this thought aside when he recalled the unthinkable tragedy that was the loss of the Seven. Rachel had said she had once thought them practically invincible, and arrogant as it sounded, Percy couldn't deny he'd subconsciously felt the same way. If even the Seven could be killed, he couldn't count on anyone from his past being alive here.

"You know, I still remember the first time you brought her to camp. Caroline I mean," Rachel reminisced. "She was adorable, she had your eyes and Annabeth's hair. And the way you two doted on her." Rachel laughed sadly. "She didn't deserve to lose her parents the way she did."

Again, Percy felt the weight of his guilt hovering over him. "I know, and I'm sorry. I wish- I wish we had listened to you."

Rachel smiled faintly at him. "We can't change the past Percy, we can only make the best with what we have. Well...maybe your case is a slight exception."

"I'll do better by them," Percy said, a fierce determination welling up in him. "I won't make the same mistakes I made before- or, um, will make in the future." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Something tells me this is a lot more complicated than it needs to be."

Rachel nodded. "Things usually are when the gods are involved. I'll be honest with you Percy, an Oracle only knows so much. I can't tell you who brought you here or why, but I know this: those kids look up to you, especially Caroline, she loves you, and she'd give up her life to protect you."

"I won't let her," Percy answered immediately with unshakeable certainty.

Rachel smiled. "That's the Percy I remember. Now you'd better get going, you don't want to keep them waiting."

Percy nodded and walked towards the door, he had just started to turn the knob when she spoke to him again.

"Oh, and Percy?"

He released the knob and looked back at Rachel.

"Try not to die this time, huh?"

Percy grinned, some things never changed. "I'll do my best."

**Percy will return in chapter 4. The rest of the group is revealed (for real this time), and we learn more about the prophecy and the characters. To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

"There's only one known living child of the goddess Harmonia, she lives in that cabin over there." Keno pointed to a simple wooden structure way off near the woods. It hadn't been there the last time Percy had been here, it must've been built in the years since. From a distance, the cabin didn't look like much, but Percy figured it probably had its own quirk, like how being near the Ares cabin made him want to punch someone in the face. Harmonia's cabin, Percy reflected, would likely have just the opposite effect.

"Wait, before we go over there, I still need to know some things about the prophecy-"

A whoop from somewhere behind them cut off whatever Percy was about to say next. The group turned as one, and saw another small group of half-bloods racing down from the camp boundary, high fiving each other excitedly like they'd just won a round of capture the flag. The group was led by a muscular boy with dark blond hair, following him were three others, two boys and one girl. They all looked about the same age except one of them, who looked a good deal younger. Upon closer inspection, Percy saw that the boy's feet were actually hooves, and realized that he wasn't human at all, but a satyr. With his gangly, boyish features and curly hair, for a moment, Percy was reminded of a younger version of Grover, his old pal, and now he wondered if he was still alive. Then he thought of Gleeson Hedge, the action junkie satyr who had practically become an unofficial member of the Seven on their quest to stop Gaea. Before he could think any further, the second group reached them.

"Hey guys! Guess who got the most kills, _again_," The blond kid said excitedly, as if he'd just gotten the new high score in a video game.

"The guy's a natural, what can I say?" his friend conceded with a grin as he clasped him on the back.

"No fair! I would have beaten you if there'd been more!" The young satyr took out an imaginary enemy with a swing of his bat.

"Maybe next time, kiddo," the blond haired boy laughed as he ruffled the satyr's hair, much to his annoyance.

"Can we try to take the business of keeping our camp safe a little more seriously, boys?" Caroline asked in an irritated tone, as if this were a daily occurence. The group instantly fell silent.

"Sorry Caroline," the blond boy said reproachfully. "Who's the new guy?"

"I'm Percy Jackson," Percy interjected, appraising the teen standing before him. He had already begun to formulate possible conclusions in his mind, and while he couldn't be certain-

"Percy Jackson, as in, from the prophecy?"

When no one from the group corrected him, the boy's facial expression slowly shifted from disbelief to amazement.

"Wow, it's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Um, "Percy" is fine," Percy answered, more than a little uncomfortable with the honorific.

"Sorry, sir- I mean, Percy. It's just you're a legend. Everyone in camp talks about you, especially Caroline-"

A quick death glare from Caroline shut him up before he could finish the thought.

"I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Sam Grace."

That all but confirmed Percy's suspicions. The boy's build and blond hair were vintage Jason, while his eyes, which Percy now saw were like kaleidescopes, constantly changing colors, could only have been passed down by a daughter of Aphrodite. Specifically, Piper McLean. The fourth legacy.

"Jason and Piper's kid," Percy mused, more to himself than to anyone else. He patted Sam on the shoulder and grinned. "Pleasure to meet you, Sam."

"I'm Chuck!" The satyr exclaimed, swinging his bat wildly again. This caused Sam and the others in his group to visibly flinch away to avoid being caught in the strike zone.

"Hey, Chuck," Percy said with a laugh.

"They were in New Rome when Eris's army torched San Francisco. Chuck's father sent him and his mother to Camp Half-Blood to protect them from the destruction. He stayed behind to help defend Camp Jupiter." Caroline explained, then took an emotional breath before finishing. "He didn't make it."

Pain seized Percy's heart again, for he had just made the connection at that moment. Chuck. He remembered Coach Hedge and his wife Mellie were having a child, and they were going to name him...Chuck.

"Gleeson Hedge was the father?"

Caroline nodded silently. "I'm sorry, Percy."

Percy looked back to Chuck Hedge, who had been oblivious to the whole conversation and was now using martial arts on invisible monsters. With a sad twinge, Percy realized how much the son resembled the father, if anything, he was even more energetic and hyperactive. Hedge would've been proud.

"Hey, who's got the next patrol?" Lucy asked.

"That would be you two," Sam said, pointing to Lucy and Keno, who groaned.

"But Caroline needs us!" Lucy protested.

"It's fine, Luce, I can handle it from here. You guys can take Adrian with you," Caroline reassured her.

"Okay," Lucy grumbled, and she and Keno walked off towards the armory, presumably to stock up.

"And you," Caroline said pointedly to Sam, "should start getting ready for tonight, we're going to officially announce the quest at the campfire."

"You got it, boss," Sam quipped with a playful smile, which he let die when she replied with a stern look. Within moments, he and his friends too were gone, leaving Percy alone with Caroline.

"Are you okay, Percy?"

Truthfully, he still felt overwhelmed by it all. He'd thought that by now he would get used to running into people from the past, but he couldn't stop the same feeling from welling inside him that he'd somehow failed everyone in some way. It was true, he'd had no direct connection to Hedge's death, but the overarching incident, the whole reason for the destruction of San Francisco, could have been prevented. How could they all have been so blind?

"I'm fine," Percy replied shakily. He didn't think it would be fair to burden Caroline with any more than she already had to deal with. "So, about this mysterious daughter of Harmonia...Keno said she was the only living child of this goddess?"

"Yeah, it's pretty rare, but there's a good reason for that. Um, I think we should let her explain."

They walked across the grassy field towards the cabin in silence. Percy noticed that there were other cabins that had been built since the last time he'd seen the camp. He faintly remembered a promise Jason had made to have cabins built for every god, and if they hadn't succeeded, it hadn't been for lack of trying. The original horseshoe shaped semi-circle of cabins was now the inner ring, while an outer ring mirrored it in shape. The Harmonia cabin was tucked behind the ceremonial cabins for Zeus and Hera, nearest to the woods; with its plain appearance, it would have been difficult to notice if you weren't specifically looking for it.

"How many of these cabins are occupied?" Percy asked suddenly.

"A little over half," Caroline answered somberly.

Percy still remembered his first days at camp, when it had been so crowded that most campers had to be placed in the Hermes cabin. The thought that now it was the opposite, multiple empty cabins, struck him as haunting. How many half-bloods had died in this war? How many more lives would be lost before it was over? Percy was gripped then by a powerful sense of urgency. Every second that ticked by, another kid was putting their life on the line. This quest couldn't start soon enough for his liking.

After another stint of walking in silence, they at last reached Harmonia's cabin. As Percy had initially suspected, as soon as he got within a short distance of the structure, he felt his earlier anxiety replaced by a sort of centered calmness. It was like he'd just taken a yoga class with the Dalai Lama, and he had to forcefully remind himself of the reason he was here.

If Caroline was feeling the same effects, it didn't show as she led him up the wooden steps and knocked om the door. Moments later, it opened.

She looked like she'd stepped out of the 1960s into the modern day. She had wavy brown hair that fell past her shoulders, her camp shirt was tie-dyed, and she wore a love bead necklace along with the standard issue camp necklace. Behind her on the walls were posters of Woodstock, Abbey Road, and the peace symbol. She couldn't have been older tban 13 or 14, Percy thought.

"You're here about my mother?" the girl asked quietly.

Caroline nodded. "Can we come in?"

The girl stepped aside to let them pass. The cabin had no electric power, aside from natural light, the only other source of illumination was a bunch of scented candles which emitted a soft glow and more of those calming peace and love vibes. Aside from the posters, there were no other obvious signs that someone lived here. The girl sat on the edge of her bed and stayed silent, as if waiting for one of them to say something. Finally Caroline did.

"May, this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is May, daughter of Harmonia."

May looked up at Percy, as if examining him for the first time. "It's really you."

"It is," Percy said. "And we're going to save your mother, I promise."

"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep."

Percy was momentarily taken aback. He tried to come up with a response, but nothing seemed right. He slightly shifted his gaze and caught the concerned look in Caroline's eyes. He suddenly wondered if there was another reason she had brought him here. Then it hit him. He wasn't just here to meet the crucial member of their quest, "Harmony's daughter". He was here to persuade her.

"I know why you're really here," May stated matter of factly, she must have come to the same conclusion, Percy thought. "I already told Caroline why I can't go."

"And why is that?" Percy asked gently.

"Because...because I'm useless. I'm no good with weapons. Swords, knives, spears, it doesn't matter, some people just have that killer instinct, you know? And I don't. My dad even gave me my middle name, Lennon, as in John Lennon, one of the greatest peace advocates of all time. It's my destiny. I would only hold you back."

"But-"

"There's more," May interrupted quickly. "Children of Harmonia...well, there's a reason we're so rare. Tragedy has followed the children of Harmonia since the day she was cursed by Hephaeustus."

When Percy gave her a look of confusion, May comtinued. "Harmonia was a child of Aphrodite and Ares, Hephaestus was understandably upset about that."

"But it wasn't her fault, that's not fair," Percy complained aloud.

"It wasn't, but since when have the gods cared about fairness?"

Again, Percy found himself without an answer, she'd made another really good point. He got the sense that despite her youth, May was wiser than her years. Maybe that had something to do with being Harmonia's child too.

"Anyways, what I was trying to say is that since children of Harmonia are cursed, tragedy often befalls us and those who associate with us. Ghandi, Lennon, MLK, you get the idea. That's why I can't go with you. I- I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you because I was there."

Percy thought for several moments, he could do one of many things at this point. He could tell her that she had to go because it was willed by the Oracle or offer some sweeping, satisfying cosmic explanation, that's what Chiron would have done. He could have said _tough luck, punk_, and forced her to go. That's what Mr. D would've done. He felt neither approach really suited him, so he went for the third option.

"Okay. I won't make you go if you don't want to."

Caroline gave him a look like _what are you thinking?_

May shifted on the bed, she seemed surprised by Percy's abrupt answer. "Really?"

"Really," Percy confirmed. "The gods may not be fair, but we half-bloods try to be. Going on a quest is a personal decision, no one else can make it for you."

"Thank you for understanding."

Percy stood up and before Caroline could object, started walking to the door. Once they were outside, she tugged at his shoulder and made him face her. Her arms were crossed and he noted this was one of the few times he had seen her truly upset.

"You could've tried a little harder back there, you know."

"I did the only thing I could, given the situation."

"We _need_ her, Percy. The quest fails without her, just like it fails without you. And if I lose you again-"

"Trust me on this, Caroline, please. She needs to come to this decision on her own terms."

Caroline nodded and gazed at him for several seconds with a grim expression before finally slipping into a playful smirk. "I'm actually starting to see how you drove mom crazy."

Percy broke into a relieved grin. His daughter, and it still felt strange to think that, but now it made sense. She had his sarcasm, and Anmabeth's wit. He had a feeling there were going to get along just fine. "There's a method to my madness though."

She punched him in the arm. "For our sakes, you'd better be right."

Percy laughed. "Let's get ready for that bonfire. I have a feeling it's going to be interesting."

* * *

**Percy will return in chapter four, along with more from our new cast of characters. To be continued... **


	5. Chapter 5

Percy hadn't attended a camp bonfire in over a year, being at one now brought back so many memories: of sing-alongs led by the Apollo cabin, of stories told by Chiron and the other long-timers of past adventures, and of all the quests issued there, some he had gone on, some he hadn't. And there was nothing quite like a campfire after a successful quest. It felt good to be recognized by the whole camp for your bravery, the smores tasted just a little sweeter in the aftermath of a victory. Although, Percy mused, nothing could compare to his last campfire, or rather, what happened afterwards. The kiss he had subconsciously dubbed immediately as the greatest underwater kiss of all time, and all these years later, he still believed that with all his heart. Now he was thinking of her again, and thinking of her just reminded him that he had failed to protect her, and that was enough to dissolve his happy memories for the moment.

The campfire, Percy had learned on his first day, was attuned to the mood of the campers. It would burn brighter and stronger the higher the camp morale was, and vice versa. Right now, it was barely bright enough to penetrate the darkness of the evening sky. The fire also lacked something else, Percy noted, normally, being close to it gave him a feeling of comfort, a home away from home. But this just felt like an ordinary fire, and did little to lift his spirits. Then he remembered: Hestia was gone. Without the goddess of the hearth providing her divine magic, the fire was dull and lifeless.

It hadn't really struck him until just then, with the whole of Camp Half-Blood surrounding the woeful blaze, just how depleted his old camp had become. At its height, they'd had over a hundred campers, now there were maybe twenty or so. Out of this group, seven of them would be responsible for saving the world.

The campers weren't arranged by cabin, as they used to be. Since so many cabins had just a couple of members, everyone sat together, more or less huddled around the fire. That was another thing, Percy realized. He hasn't noticed it at first, since his mind had been on other things, but it was actually cold. Even the climate control magic was fading away. Percy sat and tried to warm himself while Rachel stood up and began speaking.

"Good evening, campers. As many of you are aware, we have been awaiting the fulfillment of the prophecy for some time now-"

"Too long! This isn't a game, there's lives at stake!" a camper yelled.

"Yeah, Rachel, how do we know this isn't just a trick by the gods? Look at what they've done for us lately," another concurred.

"I hear you guys, but just hear me out," Rachel pleaded. "As I was saying, we've been waiting for the seven of the new prophecy to manifest themselves, and now, at long last, it has happened. Camp Half-Blood, it is my pleasure to introduce you to...an old friend." Quickly, she made a gesture with her eyes towards Percy. Understanding, he stood up and walked towards the dwindling bonfire.

What should he say? Should he put on a bravado that he didn't feel, and try to assure the campers that he, the hero of Olympus, was here to save the day again? Tell them the honest truth, that the chances of success were slim, given that even the original seven had failed? He wasn't sure, but Percy Jackson had never let that stop him before. He was an improviser at heart, so he spoke from his heart.

"Camp Half-Blood! My name is Percy Jackson. And before I begin, I want you to know that everything you've heard about me is true. I was the one who led the Seven, my friends, into battle against Eris. I thought we were doing the right thing and saving lives, but I was wrong. And believe me, I know how easy it is to blame the gods, to feel like defeat is inevitable." Percy thought about all the times people had prognosticated doom on his quests, sometimes he himself. He recalled his brief time with the Fifth Cohort, if anyone had a right to feel cursed, it was those guys. But they'd found a way, and so would he. "But the gods gave me a second chance," he continued, "and I intend to use it. This camp means everything to me, and I will do everything in my power to make sure I don't let it down again. And I know the others will do the same. But we can't do it without your support. So the gods have gone silent, we give them a reason to listen. Let's show them what Camp Half-Blood is made of!"

Percy looked at Rachel, almost embarrassed, as a smattering of claps emanated from the small cluster of campers. Then Caroline stood up.

"I've waited years for this moment, since I was a little girl. I had begun to think that maybe the prophecy was wrong, that maybe it didn't mean what I thought it meant, what I _wanted _it to mean. Then Percy showed up, out of the blue. That's an act of the gods. Someone out there wants us to take our world back, deep down, the gods know they need us as much as we need them. That's why we have to go on this quest, and that's why we won't come home until harmony is restored."

Percy looked into the eyes of his future daughter, standing across from him on the other side of the bonfire. She was so much like Annabeth, he thought, but he also saw himself in her. The off the cuff spontaneity, the fierce loyalty to friends that burned within, the one that made them do things they probably shouldn't. He knew immediately she meant every word about not coming home without having freed Harmonia, and that meant he wasn't coming back without her. They were in this together, for better or worse.

"Okay, I think it's time for the prophecy reading," Rachel said, then she repeated the prophecy she had told Percy earlier. Immediately, there were questions, some Percy had asked himself, some he had wanted to ask.

"What's the Titan's Grave?" someone asked.

"About 21 years ago," Rachel explained, "the Titans, led by their Lord, Kronos, tried to destroy Mount Olympus in Manhattan. The Greeks, led by Percy," she gestured to him at this point, "successfully defended Olympus. Meanwhile, the Romans, led by Jason Grace, attacked the Titan base, Mount Othrys. Jason killed the Titan Krios, and the Roman legion destroyed Mount Othrys. With the Titan army defeated, the palace and the ground where Krios had been slain sank into the earth, swallowed by Mount Tam. To this day, that ground, the old Mount Othrys, remains underground, and is called the Titan's Grave."

"So that means Harmonia is being held under Mount Tam," Percy observed aloud, he hadn't considered that possibility.

"Precisely," Rachel said.

So now he knew where they needed to go. He wondered if they might encounter his old pal Atlas too, still carrying the literal weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Before going to Mount Tam, you guys should stop by Camp Jupiter, they've really been taking the brunt of Eris's assault. They can help you navigate the army's defenses. You'll find some old friends there too," she said, looking at Percy specifically.

"Now it's time to announce the half-bloods who will be going on this quest. Please, no volunteering," it didn't look like anyone was going to anyways. "The questors have already been determined by the prophecy. Per tradition, the chosen will stand together before the assembled camp." Which wasn't much, Percy thought cynically. Then she began calling out names.

"Percy Jackson, the son of the sea. Caroline Jackson, daughter of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, legacy of Poseidon and Athena. Keno Zhang, son of Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque, legacy of Mars and Pluto. Luciana Valdez, daughter of Leo Valdez and Calypso, legacy of Hephaestus. Sam Grace, son of Jason Grace and Piper McLean, legacy of Zeus and Aphrodite. And um..." Rachel paused, as she realized they had only four legacies present. Percy felt a chill run down his spine, what if the prophecy wouldn't be fulfilled after all?

"Hey! Don't forget about me!"

The little voice soon had a body attached to it as Chuck Hedge pushed his way towards the center of the bonfire.

"Not now, Chuck," Rachel said impatiently.

"But it's me, it's me! You gotta let me go!"

"He's too young, there s no way he'd survive!" A camper shouted.

"Go back to chasing Dryads!" Another carped on.

"No wait..." Percy said, he was starting to wonder if they had read the prophecy wrong. "What if he's right?"

Rachel gave him a wary look. "Percy, are you sure about this? He's only about 10 in human years. Granted he's willing-" they looked at Chuck, shadowboxing with an imaginary Bruce Lee. "But I don't know if he's ready."

"I wasn't ready on my first quest," Percy replied. "But I knew I had to go anyways. Besides, I'm starting to think we got the prophecy wrong."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"Well you know how prophecies usually have more than one meaning? So does the word legacy. It could mean the child of a half-blood, but it could also mean the child of any significant person. Coach Hedge wasn't an official member of the Seven, but I'd say he was pretty significant."

Rachel still didn't look sure, but she nodded and looked back over the bonfire. "I guess it just goes to show that even an Oracle can have a hard time understanding her own prophecies. I still have my doubts, but I believe Percy is right. Chuck Hedge, son of Gleeson Hedge and Mellie, legacy of the Seven, will you accept the quest?"

Chuck bounced up and down excitedly. "Heck yeah! Uh, I mean...I humbly accept your invitation."

Everyone laughed, and the tension was momentarily relieved.

"Then we have six of the seven, and that leaves-"

Suddenly she fell silent. Percy wondered why until he saw that everyone's head had gradually turned in the same direction. Walking towards them, out of the shadows and into the dim orange light, was the only living daughter of Harmonia.

"May," Rachel uttered with some surprise in her voice. "You came."

May walked until she was standing in the line next to Percy. She looked up at him with her sky blue eyes. "I realized I couldn't hide from my responsibility while the rest of you were risking your lives to do what's right. Every peace movement in the history of mankind started with someone taking a stand, so that's what I'm doing." She smiled at him. "Thank you for making me realize that."

Percy shook his head and grinned. "I'm flattered you think I planned it that way, but I just gave you a nudge, you did the rest."

"At any rate," Rachel cut in, "we now have all the quest members present and accounted for." Then she officially pronounced May as the final member of the quest. The campfire was supposed to adjourn after that, but Percy stayed behind until he was alone with Rachel.

"You okay, Percy?"

"If it's all right, I'd like to have a moment alone before we put the fire out."

Rachel nodded. "Okay," she said softly and walked away.

Percy wasn't sure what he was doing. He knew that the gods had shut themselves away from the world, that they probably wouldn't hear his prayer, let alone acknowledge it in any way. But somehow he felt compelled to remind them that he hadn't given up, and even if they were determined to destroy each other over another divine quarrel, the half-bloods weren't going anywhere. So he prayed. To Poseidon:

"Hey dad, it's me, Percy. You probably thought I was dead, and I was, but I'm back now. I know I failed once, and I know I caused you pain and you must be disappointed in me, but this time we'll make things right. I won't stop until I see the look on Zeus's face when he realizes we've saved his behind again," at this point, a faint rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance, so Percy quickly moved on.

To Athena:

"Lady Athena, I can't even begin to apologize to you for letting Annabeth die. She is- was, the most amazing person, and I really did love her, and always will. I won't apologize for that. I also love our daughter, she has your gift of strategy, and we'll need it on this quest. I don't know if we'll succeed, but if we do, could you please let me explain myself before you zap me? Thanks in advance."

To Aphrodite:

"When you said you were going to mess with my love life, you really went all out, didn't you?"

To Hestia:

The bonfire isn't the same without you. Never feel like you don't matter because you do. I told you before, you're the last Olympian, and now you're probably the only sane Olympian too. We need you to keep the peace for as long as humanly, make that godly, possible. Don't give up hope."

And, just in case, to Hades:

"Hey, um, Uncle Hades? Remember that time when the Doors of Death were open, and all the monsters we killed just kept coming back? Yeah, could you please make sure that, like, doesn't happen again? Because I'm pretty sure we're going to hunted by every monster in the country. P.S. Tell Thanatos I said hi, but I don't plan on having my soul reaped any time soon."

Having gotten all the built up anxiety out of his system, Percy finally felt ready for the quest. He couldn't worry about his fellow quest members, about whether they were ready, or as experienced as he'd like, or his personal demons over the original Seven. May had believed in him, Rachel too, and though Caroline hadn't outright said it, he knew she would follow him anywhere. As for the others, they reminded him so much of his friends that it hurt. All the more reason for him to guide them through to the end. There was nothing more to do now but try to get a good night's sleep. Starting tomorrow, there was no going back.

**Percy will return in the next Chapter. In which: The quest is all set to begin, and a special person from Percy's past makes an appearance. To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

_Morning_

"So, uh, what's post-apocalyptic New York like?"

"Not that different from regular New York, actually."

The seven of them were in the Big House situation room poring over maps of the city, state, and country. It had only been hours since Percy had woken up and found himself 20 years in the future, and everything had happened so fast since then. He'd discovered that his new friends were actually the children of the original seven, and that the fate of human civilization itself rested on a quest to rescue a goddess from the personification of strife and destruction.

It seemed fitting then, that it had just occurred to Percy that they were about to set out on a quest with nothing but their weapons and the clothes on their backs. Planning and strategizing had never come naturally to him, he'd simply never had to usual, Percy had neglected to think things through. Normally, Annabeth was there to keep his feet on the ground, but now...now he felt hopelessly lost. How on earth was he supposed to get seven people from Long Island to San Francisco in time to stop the end of the world? At any moment, the feuding gods could turn the mortal world into their own personal battlefield, which would make Kronos's takeover of Manhattan and even Gaea's awakening look like child's play. What he wouldn't give to have Mrs. O'Leary here right now. The faithful hellhound could have shadow traveled them there, but apparently she too had left the camp. Percy felt a pang in his heart as the realization that Mrs. O'Leary may have been killed herself at some point in the last 20 years struck him. She wouldn't die forever of course, monsters never did. But who was to say that she would come back as the loveable monster she once was? Percy knew that Annabeth had never truly recovered from the loss of their friends Bob the Titan and Damasen the giant, and already, the thought of his hellhound being gone felt like an emptiness in him that would follow him for the rest of his life. it seemed a silly thing to form an attachment to a creature born to destroy you, but then, being a half-blood made the extraordinary seem ordinary. Percy had learned to take it all in stride.

Or at least, he thought he had. For the first time in a long time, Percy felt completely overwhelmed by his task. He'd rarely attempted anything like this without Annabeth by his side, and even when they'd been separated, he could be reasonably certain of seeing her again once it was over. Not so now. The same old questions were coming back to him, wondering if he would ever get back to his own world. Or would he remain here, a man out of time, having learned too late from his mistakes? The only way he would find that out was to succeed on this quest, which reminded him: he had no idea what they were going to do about transportation. They didn't have the money to pay for it, let alone a vehicle that could fit seven people. Without shadow travel, the only other way was to take public transportation, which was unreliable in the best of times, or walk, which would obviously take far too long. This mission was already getting off to the worst start imaginable.

* * *

"First, we'll catch a bus from Long Island into Manhattan," Caroline said, indicating the route with her finger on a large tactical map of the area. The questers had gathered in the strategy room to plot their final course of action. "We have enough mortal cash to get at least that far, but from there, well...it's all up to grandma."

"Grandma?" Percy repeated, his throat suddenly felt dry. If Caroline was his daughter, then that could only mean...

Caroline looked up at him, as if remembering that he wasn't from this time, and what she had just absent mindedly said would have been a mind blowing revelation to Percy.

And that's exactly what it was. Percy knew it couldn't be Annabeth's mother, Athena, for the gods had closed themselves off from the human world, and in any event, Athena wasn't exactly the warm and helpful type, certainly not when Percy was involved. It had to be _her_, Sally Jackson. Of course he had thought of his mother since he'd gotten here, but he hadn't allowed himself to imagine her really alive, let alone seeing her again. The pain of losing Annabeth and his other friends was almost unbearable, losing his mom too might have pushed him beyond his breaking point. Yet if what Caroline had just said meant what he thought it meant...

"Sally Jackson..." Percy mumbled, more to himself than anything, as if speaking her name could solidify her existence, ensure that she would not be taken away too. "Mom..." he added dazedly. After what felt like an eternity, it occurred to him that the rest of the room had become speechless.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I should have, I wanted to. I- I-..."

Caroline looked mortified, like she half-expected Percy to cut her down in a fit of rage.

"Does she still live on the East Side?" Percy finally managed to stumble out. Somehow, it seemed an inadequate reaction to finding out that your mom was still alive, but those words were the only ones his voice would form.

Caroline nodded wordlessly.

"And Paul?" Percy asked. Paul Blofis, his step-dad and former high school teacher, had brought him mixed feelings at first, but he had grown to accept him and finally love him as part of the family.

"They're still together."

Percy hadn't noticed until then that he had almost stopped breathing. Now he felt like a measure of weight had been lifted and his lungs could function again. They were alive, both of them. Alive and still together. Something in this godsforsaken world had gone right after all.

"It's been several months since we've seen them," Keno cautioned. "And the situation in Manhattan isn't getting any better. We can't be sure they still have it."

"Sure they do," Sam insisted. "Mrs. Jackson wouldn't let us down like that."

"Well if they don't, I can always hot wire a car," Lucy claimed nonchalantly. The room fell into awkward silence.

"What?" She protested. "Have you seen downtown lately? It's almost as bad as during the Titan war. Cars lying abandoned everywhere, y'know. It's a free for all out there."

"That, um, won't be necessary, Lucy," Caroline assured her. "We'll just have to have faith that she has it."

Percy didn't bother asking what "it" was. All he cared about was getting to the bay and atoning for his misdeeds by freeing Harmonia and saving his children's world from destruction.

_This is the world we left them...no, it's the world _I _left them. Father, if somehow, somewhere. you're listening...our children must succeed. Eris has created a war in the sky, preventing gods from contacting their children. I don't know if you can hear me, but...I call upon you from the bottom of my heart. For Annabeth, for all who fought and died as heroes, All I ask for is a sign. Please. Tell me it's not too late. _

"Caroline! Guys!" The door flew open with a mighty of wind, revealing one of the campers, panting for breath. Finally she collected herself. "The bus'll be there any minute now!"

Even though the door was already open, a second, gentler gust of wind pushed its way inside. Suddenly Percy felt a tug at his gut, the kind he got when he summoned a massive wave of water. And the air...it smelled different. Like a lazy day by the seashore. An old memory resurfaced, Percy and his mom, driving to Montauk like they always used to do. Playing and splashing in the water together, back when he was just a normal kid with a normal life and the greatest mom in the world. This wasn't a coincidence, Percy told himself. This was the sign.

"It's time," he said simply. _Thank you, Poseidon._

* * *

It turned out Keno and Lucy weren't kidding about how bad things had become in the city. Several times, the bus driver, who happened to be an adult demigod, had to swerve, accelerate, and shift to escape the people trying to steal their ride or the gangs trying to get valuable parts for bartering and weaponizing. The only analogy Percy could think of was Apollo driving his sun chariot like a Maserati while in bus mode. That is to say, it was a miracle they made it more than half a block without crashing, let alone to the East Side. In a way, Percy was glad for the distraction of trying to stay alive. It allowed him not to dwell on the reunion with his mom. What if she was angry with him for getting everyone killed? What if harm had come to her after all? For all he knew, it had been weeks, or even months, since Caroline had seen her last. Things could change in an instant. These thoughts were temporarily put on the backburner as Percy held on for dear life. Next to him, Caroline and Sam looked like they were going to be sick. Across the aisle, Lucy was nervously fiddling with something in her hands and Keno was gritting his teeth and clutching the seat in from him. Only Chuck seemed to be truly enjoying the ride, letting out a whoop every time the driver successfully dodged a potential attacker.

Finally, after several near misses and some shattered windows, the bus turned onto a street that Percy recognized. This was his old neighborhood. Those buildings in front of them were the apartments where he and his mom had lived for so many years. They were more worn now, but still standing. Hope surged in Percy again. Maybe it wasn't too late. The bus rolled to a stop in the parking lot. Judging by the damage done on this one run, it was clear why most people didn't want to risk driving anything at this time, it was also unlikely that the bus would remain operable for much longer. Percy made sure to thank the driver for his service.

"Hold on there, kiddo," the driver grunted. Everyone turned around, Chuck was the only one who hadn't gotten off yet. The driver gave him a huge, toothy grin. "Not many people appreciate my driving like you did. I wanna give you somethin'." He held up something in his hand. It was a set of reed pipes.

"This belonged to the satyr that found me all those years ago. I only knew his true identity for a few days, but he was my only friend in a world that discarded me as a delinquent, a nobody...he gave his life so that I could make it to Camp Half-Blood. When he became one with nature, I promised to myself that I would never let anyone die on my watch again." He extended the pipes to Chuck. "You've got fire, kid. As a child of Ares, I can tell you would be a fierce fighter in any battle. But you haven't even touched your full potential. Use this to unlock your powers of nature, young satyr."

"Huh?" Chuck said in amazement, the Mist normally hid disguised satyrs, even from demigods. "H-how did you know?"

The adult demigod grinned. "I have my ways, kiddo."

Chuck took the pipes. "I still don't see how this is stronger than judo...but I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot."

The driver grinned. "Kid, you and I have the same mind. That's why I know you'll figure it out. Good luck." And with that, he peeled out of the parking lot.

"That guy has to be the nicest child of Ares I've ever met," Percy said. Frank didn't count, his dad was Mars, who at least had some dignity.

"His mother." May said quietly. Everyone fell silent and looked at her.

"What was that, May?" Percy asked.

"His mother," May repeated. Then Percy noticed something that nearly made his jaw drop in shock. May's entire body was illuminated by an iridescent glow. He had only seen something like this once, when Aphrodite claimed Piper at the campfire. But May had already been claimed, did this mean she had somehow tapped into her powers as a daughter of Harmonia?

"Harmonic connection..." she whispered.

Suddenly May was chanting something in Ancient Greek, which Percy automatically translated in his head. It had a cadence and a rhythm to it, like lines of poetry or a prophecy.

_In days long past, when I had no one _

_I had you to guide me _

_through the storms of life _

_You showed me warmth _

_You taught me love _

_You made me who I am_

Once she had finished her incantation, the glow slowly wore off, until it was just May standing there, like nothing had happened. She stumbled forward and Percy caught her.

"W-what happened? What was that, May?"

"I...I don't know. One minute I was thinking...I had an image in my mind of a boy and his mother...the words just came spilling out."

"Incredible," Caroline breathed.

"Chuck's not the only one with untapped potential," Keno said solemnly.

He was right, Percy realized. Even with all his experience, he had never actually met a child of Harmonia. What kind of abilities did May have? And could this explain why children of Harmonia were so rare?

"Can you do that for anyone?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," May answered uncertainly.

"Try it on me," Lucy offered eagerly.

"Guys, she's too weak right now. I think that really drained her strength," Caroline admonished.

It was true, May was still leaning on Percy for support. Her body was trembling. He could relate, this was how he felt the first few times he unleashed his powers as the son of Poseidon. Using godly abilities that were never meant to be handled by mortals was a daunting task, even for the miracle that is the human body.

"Will she be all right?" Sam asked.

"I think so," Caroline assured him.

"Well then," Keno mused, "I think it's time to finally meet Sally Jackson herself.

* * *

Percy had walked these same steps to the apartment he shared with his mother countless times. Yet this time felt different. Every step was magnified, every moment a lifetime. What would he find behind that once familiar door? Acceptance, blame, loss? He tried not to let his inner turmoil show. For the sake of his friends and their children, he would face whatever future was thrown at him. At last, the group reached the room. Percy stepped forward and resisted the urge to burst in like he did every day after yet another terrible day of middle school.

_If my twelve year old self could see me now..._

He knocked, and seconds later, heard the familiar sound of the chain lock being undone. The door swung open, revealing a middle aged woman. Despite her somewhat aging appearance, she was still beautiful in Percy's eyes, and she was unmistakably _her_.

"Caroline! It's been so long, and-" she locked eyes with Percy for the first time. He'd looked to those eyes so often in times of trouble. They offered strength, guidance, wisdom, love. Only now, they betrayed only one emotion...utter shock. He knew what she was thinking, it was what exactly what he had thought when he first found out she was alive. Could it be? Could it be that this is real? _Yes mom, it's really me. Percy Jackson, your son who died 20 years ago, who now stands before you today. I realize now that what I didn't have back then was faith. In my friends, in the gods, in you. I thought I could do it all on my own. I won't make the same mistakes again. I don't know what you have planned, but I'm putting all my faith in you! _

Sally Jackson had been silent this entire time, processing and reprocessing, maybe deciding she had finally gone completely insane. Finally, she spoke a single word.

"Percy?"

**To be continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

Mount Tam  
San Francisco

At times like this, Eris hated the ancient rules that forbade the gods from directly interfering in affairs of humans and their fellow deities. She was a being forged from the worst bitterness of the earth; unlike her counterpart, Harmonia, who had seemingly been born with the childishly naive notion of a world of peace, love, and sunshine, Eris knew the reality. Humans were depraved by their nature, and the Olympians were little better with their inflated sense of self-importance.

People had always misunderstood Eris. Well, the few who even knew of and acknowledged her existence, that is. In this obscure dark deity who lived in the pit of Tartarus itself, they saw only one who loved strife, chaos, and discord for it's own sake. But to the goddess, these things weren't inherently evil, they were merely the natural order of the world. In fact they were necessary. For there can be no way to appreciate peace but to endure the suffering of war. For millennia since their divine births, Eris and Harmonia had maintained this delicate balance in accordance with the will of Olympus. The humans couldn't be allowed eternal peace, obviously, for then they would have no need for the gods. But nor could they be kept constantly cowering, for then no one would be there to offer the Olympians praise. It was an important job, Eris had always been assured by Hermes, the Olympian errand boy, and as far as Eris was concerned, their chief propagandist.

Hermes was known as the patron of thieves and tricksters after all, and Eris had to admit, he was good. For so long, he'd managed to keep her in the fold by making repeated promises of recogmition from Olympus. He would assure her that while the humans and gods feared her, in reality they appreciated the vitality of her role as the universal bad cop to Harmonia's good cop.

_"Without you, the world descends into Chaos." _

Those were the last words Hermes had spoken to her. The gods knew they couldn't afford to lose her support. It was right around the time of the second Great Prophecy. Eris was still a loyal little soldier for Olympus then, but soon that would all change.

Gaea was the catalyst. The earth mother spoke to Eris in dreams at first. Murmuring in tones almost too soft to hear the words that had dwelt within Eris for all these thousands of years. The frustration with the ignorance of man of her true worth, with Harmonia, with the indulgence and arrogance of the Olympians. Gaea wasn't telling Eris anything she didn't already know. She already knew she was nothing more than a pawn to the Olympians. But until now, she'd felt powerless. Now here was a primordial more powerful than every god in Olympus combined offering her a chance to finally remake the world in her own image. To not have live any longer under the boot of Zeus and his council of buffoons. It was an easy decision.

It had all gone so terribly well at first. Gaea's forces didn't even have to make a move, the Olympians and their half-blood underlings were doing all the work for them. Hera must have finally lost her godly mind, Eris had thought. Knowing that her fellow Olympians were no match for Gaea, and on the say so of an ancient prophecy, she had resorted in some misguided desperation to stealing the memories of Percy Jackson and Jason Grace, the greatest heroes of the Greek and Roman half-bloods, and swapping their places. It seemed she was hoping that the heroes would be able to mend the centuries old rift between the Greeks and Romans to unite them against Gaea. It was a foolhardy gamble that was certain to fail miserably.

Even when, against all odds, Jackson and Grace managed to actually bring the two sides together, Gaea's army still held all the cards. The giants were practically unstoppable, and Eris was finding new recruits all the time with her connections in the underworld. It should have added up to an easy victory. But those damned half-bloods just wouldn't give it up. Even though they must have known their efforts were futile, they still resisted. Eris didn't understand that. Why fight the inevitable? The world began with Gaea, and now it would end with Gaea. And Eris would be there, finally standing triumphantly over the gods of Olympus.

It was the seven of that prophecy. They had ruined everything. Somehow they'd managed to evade and defeat every obstacle thrown at them. No matter what Eris tried to divide them, their unity was too strong. She would have gladly appeared in full divine form and burned these insolent children into ashes, but Gaea's instructions were very clear: Percy Jackson needed to live so that his blood could be used to awaken her. And it had. For just a fleeting moment, victory was at hand, then it was oh so cruelly snatched away. The gods were typically unforgiving. Supposedly even Apollo, one of their own, had been cast out of the heavens to live with the mortals. But even that indignity was nothing compared to what Eris received for her treachery.

Hades was given free reign to inflict as many devious and tortourus punishments as he could conceive. And once he'd had his fun, Eris was cast back into the hellfire of Tartarus, where she writhe in agony for what felt like an eternity, forever burning, never dying. It had seemed like this would be her eternal fate until one day, she was suddenly whisked away to a grassy plain in a location she didn't recognize, or particularly care for. The sun was shining brightly while a light breeze gently brushed by, and somewhere off in the distance, people were talking and laughing. It disgusted Eris. Harmonia had been in charge for too long. Before she'd had time to stew on this however, she became aware of another, familiar presence. Hermes.

_"You brought me out." _

_Hermes shrugged. "The council has decided that your punishment is sufficient. You are to return to your duties effective immediately." _

_Typical, Eris had thought. The Olympians had let her burn until it was convenient for them to bring her back. _

_"Too much sunshine and rainbows for Zeus, huh?" She quipped sarcastically. _

_Hermes sighed. "You know how it is, Eris. The gods are like the weather, they're-" _

_"Yes, yes, I know," Eris snapped in irritation. "They're always changing. They don't seem to change in the way they trample over the other gods. Over me. Just because we don't have a throne on Olympus doesn't make us any less important." _

_Hermes gave a look that said that he'd known this would come up. "The Olympians are angry, Eris. And in all fairness, you've brought this on yourself this time. You supported Gaea." _

_"I stood up for myself. And since you've come all this way to tell me that, I have a reply, message boy. You can tell Zeus that when the time comes, he'll be sorry that he and his godly lackeys made an enemy of me." _

_"Eris-" _

_But Eris dematerialized and vanished within a split second, leaving a bewildered Hermes standing alone._

* * *

"Lady Eris?"

The unexpected voice brought the goddess back to the chamber of underground rock that she now called home. A single figure stepped forward from the darkness, appearing only as a shadow at first. Slowly its features became more defined until a teenage boy finally stopped just feet away from the goddess. He looked just like an ordinary kid if you ignored the wickedly edged bronze sword hanging from his belt. His brown hair was swept to the side, giving him a distinct California boy look, although the stormy blue eyes may have ruined that image. He didn't look like a trained killer, in fact his lean, pale body barely looked capable of wielding a sword. Yet what had always made this boy stand out to Eris was his confidence. The way he believed in his cause with his whole heart and refused to allow anyone or anything stand in his way. It was so unlike the scared little boy she had first met om the street all those years ago. She had taught him well.

"Duncan, you have something to report, darling?"

"Yes ma'am. It seems our spies have detected movement out of Camp Half-Blood."

Eris tried to mask her shock. Camp Half-Blood was supposed to be finished. After the demise of the seven, they'd been completely demoralized. Not to mention their numbers were dwindling by the day. And yet, if they were really daring enough to leave the safety of their magical borders into the territory occupied by Eris's army, that could only mean one thing...

After realizing that Eris wasn't going to respond, Duncan spoke again to fill the pregnant silence.

"...Lady Eris, we believe that the half-bloods are embarking on a quest, and their target is here. More specifically, Harmonia."

Eris finally managed to force herself to say something. "How could this be? They already tried, and they failed, they were all killed where they stood. If even the legendary seven heroes couldn't defeat me, then who can? It's a suicide mission!"

In fact, the more Eris thought about it, the less worried she became. She'd already taken the best the Olympian loyalists could throw at her. Her army had battled the greatest heroes of Olympus and won. Surely this was merely a desperation tactic, a last ditch delusion.

Duncan shifted uncomfortably. "They have a prophecy from the Oracle. And there are reports...that Perseus Jackson is leading them."

_Percy Jackson_

_No_

_He's dead_

_This is impossible _

It was only now that Eris realized that she was saying all these thoughts aloud, and it brought her back to her senses. She could not appear weak. Percy Jackson was just one man. He could be killed just as easily as any other. It happened once. Now for whatever reason he was back, so there was nothing to do but get rid of him again. Eris forced herself to smile. Perhaps this might be an opportunity after all.

"I'll alert all units across the country to be on the lookout. We'll stop them, Lady Eris."

Eris stood and slowly walked closer to Duncan. The boy now nearly stood taller than her. And while Eris knew she could technically turn into a 100 foot giant if she wanted to, she couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like for a human to have pride in her son. Eris had already sworn long ago that she would never have a child with any mortal, but Duncan was special. He was her most loyal soldier, looked up to her. And after all, she had practically raised him. Trained him to be the machine-like warrior he was today. That's why she would entrust no one else to eliminate the nuisance of Percy Jackson once and for all.

"Don't you see, darling? This is your moment. All the years of training have prepared you, and only you, for this mission."

"You want...me to go?"

Eris's lips cracked into a thin grin. "You're ready. I know because I taught you everything you know. Take whomever you want with you. Take whatever mode of transportation you find most comfortable. Take whatever weapons you need. I leave all the planning to you."

Duncan took all this in silently. "It's an awful lot of responsibility."

"You can handle it."

"I'm only one of many, Lady Eris."

Eris shook her head. "Nonsense, my boy. You're the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Your sword will be the end of Percy Jackson and the beginning of a new era, one where we decide our own destinies, free of the oppression of Olympus."

He nodded. "Your trust in me won't be misplaced."

"I know it won't, darling. I know."

**To be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I promise this story will be finished someday guys. I'm sorry I took such a long hiatus. Thank you so much for those of you who have stuck around the whole time. It really means a lot to know that all this time later, people are atill reading and interested in updates. I sincerely hope you are enjoying the story

* * *

"Percy?"

Sally Jackson remembered as vividly as ever the day that she found out Percy was gone. It had started out as an ordinary morning with Paul, they were settling comfortably into their new life together on the east side of Manhattan. At the time, nobody had yet realized the magnitude of Eris's machinations. As usual, humans had kept their blinders on until it was far too late. Even as the mother of a half-blood and a clear-sighted mortal, Sally hadn't suspected a thing. But Percy was different. His years training at Camp Half-Blood had only strengthened his already excellent gut instincts that would go on to serve him so well. Of course it helped to have a young woman as knowledgeable as Annabeth by his side. Together they'd managed to put together a theory of what was going on, and if true, it would mean that the world may have only had a short time before human and godly civilization collapsed.

She remembered the anger with which Percy confided to her in one of his final visits at the inaction of the camp. He and the rest of the seven wanted to go on a quest immediately. Chiron was divided, Rachel was saying that without a prophecy, it would be doomed from the start. The day before, Rachel had sent an Iris Message pleading witg Sally to talk some sense into Percy. Then Percy himself showed up and told his side. Sally simply hadn't known what to say. Nothing could ever prepare a mother for something like this. She'd finally settled on the most sincere thing she could think of.

_"Do what you think is right, Percy. Whatever you decide, I will support you." _

The guilt of knowing that she could have talked him out of it would haunt her forever. It all started on that innocuous morning. The Seven had been away for some time and they hadn't been in contact with Camp Half-Blood for several days. Chiron had become so concerned that he sent out patrols of half-bloods on Pegasi to search for them. It was shortly thereafter that they made the horrible discovery. The Seven heroes of the second great prophecy were gone. Sally, of course, was completely unaware of this, until that day when Hermes himself arrived to deliver the news. He'd appeared not as a great divine being, but as a weary traveller with the news that no parent should ever hear. From this point on, all Sally remembered was falling into Paul's arms, a sobbing wreck. It really couldn't be. Her only child, the boy she'd raised alone for twelve years and then watched with pride as he became the exceptional young man she always knew he could be, was dead. She'd always known that at any moment his life might be endangered, that was the life of a half-blood. But somehow she'd never thought it could happen to Percy. He seemed above it all, invincible even. It was such a naive thought, Sally later realized. And she was partly to blame for not stopping Percy when she had the chance.

The news only got worse though. The bodies were being returned to Camp Half-Blood for a proper funeral, but Perry's was not among them. In spite of all the camp's efforts, the only item recovered from Percy was his sword, Riptide, in pen form. His body was never recovered, and soon the camp became too overwhelmed and short-numbered to mount any more efforts. For Sally Jackson, twenty long years would pass without any closure on her son's death. For all she knew he'd been burned or mutilated or worse. The only things that kept her going were Paul and her granddaughter, Caroline. She looked so much like Percy and Annabeth that it stirred constant feelings of joy and pain within her. Joy that a part of Percy had lived on, pain that he and Annabeth weren't here to see what a wonderful person she had become. The last few times Caroline has visited her, she'd confided that she and some of her friends were planning on going on a quest for the camp to scavenge for supplies This story had gradually began to change until one day, Caroline dropped a bombshell. She believed that the new prophecy might be referring to Percy. But that was impossible, Sally knew. Still, she and Paul had agreed to buy them a van and help stash as many supplies as possible for the quest. Even so, in her wildest dreams, Sally could never have imagined that she'd be standing her now, looking into the eyes of the spitting image of her son the last time she saw him. It was as though he'd been frozen in time. His wavy black hair and sea-green eyes and youthful face were all the same, but something was different. The last time she'd seen Percy, he had seemed angry and distant, as though he had somehow lost his way. Now Percy looked like he knew exactly what he was doing and nothing was going to stop him. It was the old Percy, the boy who raced towards danger with reckless abandon. But when he finally spoke, his voice came out in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Mom...it's really you, isn't it?"

"Yes Percy, it is. But...you..."

"I'm alive," Percy finished for her gently.

"It doesn't seem real. Caroline told me, but it doesn't seem real..."

"It's real grandma, it's him," Caroline assured.

"Come here. If you're really here, and this isn't a final insult from the gods, then come to me, Percy, please."

Percy slowly found the strength to move his legs across the threshold of the apartment door, it hadn't been that long since he'd visited in his world, but it already felt like a lifetime. Everything looked familiar yet also frighteningly different. Each step seemed to echo louder in his mind until he finally stood just inches away from his mother. Although she'd aged, she was still the same beautiful and strong woman who had picked him up when he was at his lowest points. He needed her strength now more than ever, but by the tears welling up in her eyes, he realized for the first time that she needed him more. Once, Paul had told him that there was a time when this would happen, and when it did, Percy had to be ready to ease his mother's burden. That time had come now.

"Oh, Percy..." Sally said through tears as she cupped his cheeks with shaking hands. "I don't understand it, I never will. But I believe it."

Percy said nothing, instead merely pulling his mother in for a long hug. It was what they both needed.

"How inconsiderate of me." Sally wiped her eyes and tried to regain at least some sense of composure. "I haven't greeted the rest of your friends."

Percy looked back at Keno, Lucy, Sam, May, and Chuck standing in the doorway. In all the emotion of being reunited with his mother, he'd almost forgotten about themm Boy was she going to be in for another surprise.

"Mom, this is Keno Zhang, Lucy Valdez, Sam Grace, Chuck Hedge, and May Kinsley. Guys, this is my mom, Sally Jackson."

Mutters of "Hi miss Jackson", "nice to meet you", and "Sorry to barge in unexpected..." followed from the group. Sally inspected the group more closely. She'd never met them but they did look awfully familiar for some reason. And...

"Those names...can it be?"

Percy couldn't help but grin. His mom had figured it out right away. "These are the children of the original Seven, plus our good friend Gleeson Hedge's son and...um, well, I don't know much about her or her mother, Harmonia, but this one is apparently the key to our survival." He gestured for May to step forward, which she tentatively did.

"Oh my...she can't be much older than you were when you first discovered your true identity. Your parents must be worried to death about you."

"They um...they won't notice if I'm gone for just a little while."

"Oh that's nonsense, sweetheart. You know on Perry's first quest, I couldn't _stop _thinking and worrying over him. Of course, the fact that I was in Hades didn't help matters..."

May gasped. "You've been in Hades?"

"And Percy's been in Tartarus," Caroline added. "And yet, they're both here. So I know we can pull this off."

"Hey guys, I know this is kind of a big moment for Percy, but if we don't start moving again pretty soon, the monsters might realize something's up," Keno reminded them.

"Of course," Caroline said, trying to regain concentration on the tasks at hand. "Grandma, is the van ready?"

Sally grinned. "Paul really went all out this time. He's in the parking garage right now, I guess he had a feeling you'd be dropping by today. Shall we pay him a visit?"

That was how they all ended up on an elevator to the bottom floor of the apartment complex, the parking garage in normal times. Normal times these were not, for now it was practically empty, making the dimly lit lot appear even more desolate and lonesome than usual. Everyone who hadn't already fled the city had likely had their vehicle destroyed or stolen. Several yards away, a lone figure stood solemnly next to the silhouette of a sleek van. It seemed the figure had been working on the van until he heard the sound of the elevator descending, although he said nothing at first as the door opened, giving passage to the group into the lot. Did he recognize then? Percy couldn't be sure, but even in the darkness, the man's eyes visibly lit up. He stepped closer to them. His features were older, more refined, yet still familiar...

"Sally..."

Percy's mother pressed on without missing a beat...as if they had spent countless hours prepraring for this day, for this singular moment. "Paul, it's time."

"...Time?" The man moved to meet the group halfway between the elevator and the van. As he approached, he must have finally noticed that one of these kids was not like the others. That he was the spitting image of the son lost so long ago...

"Gods above...Percy, is it you? Or have I at last gone mad?"

Age might have beem kinder to Paul Blofis if he, along with Sally, had not had such a terrible burden to bear, a burden Percy still felt responsible for. In the years since Percy had last seen him, Paul had matured from looking like a typical high school teacher to looking like a full-blown college professor, complete with a neatly trimmed beard. Yet where he, like Sally, had once appeared youthful, now they both appeared worn and ragged by the years alone. Again, Percy thanked the gods they at least had each other.

"Yes, Paul, it's me. It's Percy."

The middle aged man shook his head and let loose a brief, melancholy laugh. He seemed to be speechless at first as they simply embraced each other, finally reunited. By now, this should have been routine for Percy. He should've been used to the storm of emotions raging in his heart each time he greeted someone from his past. Yet he couldn't get past it. Something about the fact that he was frozen in time whilst the world had changed so dramatically around him...while the people he loved had been forced to move on and deal with their anguish without him. It was his fatal flaw, he realized. His desire to help anybody and everybody. But in their hour of need, he had not been there.

"By the skies above, I never imagined-" Paul clutched Percy tightly before finally getting him go. "...I've become a believer in a lot of things since you and your mother came into my life. But until now, until this very moment...it all still seemed like a fantasy."

Percy stood, still shell-shocked. Wondering how he could've ever been embarrassed of his stepfather. "Paul...I don't know how I can ever apologize to you for what I've done..."

Percy felt the others moving closer to him, as if hoping to offer him comfort, but it was Paul who spoke, quietly, yet emotionally. "It has been difficult without you, I can't deny that. For a long time, your mother blamed herself, and I blamed myself for not being able to comfort her...when we lost you, the world had lost a hero, but we had lost a son."

Percy bowed his head shamefully.

"...but, I want you to know that we both have always been proud of you, and we are still proud of you. Nobody knew how that quest would turn out, Percy. You can't blame yourself for that."

Percy paused. "What if I fail again?"

"What indeed? You will never find out if you don't try. Your friends...ah, your descendants believe in you. We believe in you. You're the Hero of Olympus, Percy. You've fought Kronos himself, and won! I was there."

"Ah, technically _Luke _defeated Chronos," Keno pointed out helpfully.

Paul waved it off. "You get the idea. And anyways, with this ride I've got set up for you, there's no way you'll fail."

That brought the attention back to the van. They still had a long road ahead to get across the country to San Francisco in time to rescue a goddess and prevent world war III. It was finally time for Percy and his gang find out just what his mom and stepfather had done to prepare them for this ardous journey.


End file.
